A device for the positioning of a label, having a central aperture and peripheral edge, onto a surface of a disk, having a central hole and an outer edge including three components:(1) a support base for the label having a central aperture; (2) a centering spindle having a first and second, reduced diameter portions for relatively centering the label and disk, the disk being seated on a shoulder between the first and second diameter portions; and (3) a compressible foam pad, cylindrical in shape adapted to be adhered to the bottom of the second diameter portion of the spindle and positioned in an aperture in the base on which the spindle may be seated. With the disk retained on the shoulder and centered by the second diameter portion of the spindle passing therethrough, the disk is moved towards the label supported adhesive side up on the base. The first diameter portion of the spindle enters the aperture in the base, centering the label relative to the disk and compressing the foam pad, which exerts a counterforce, uniformly between the disk and label as the two are adhered and united, to uniformly adhere the label to the disk without wrinkles or air pockets. The spindle and pad can be formed as an integral unit to reduce the components to two by the addition of a stabilizing plate ultrasonically welded to the pad at one end, and at its other end, the pad can be ultrasonically welded to the spindle.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A labeler for the placement of self-adhesive labels onto a compact disk or the like comprising: a one-piece positioning spindle having a first and second portion, the second portion having a cross-sectional area smaller than the first portion for insertion in a spindle hole of a disk, a shoulder between the first and second portions for supporting a disk, a positioning base having a label supporting surface and a positioning hole, the first portion of the spindle including a resilient, compressible member being received within the positioning hole of the positioning base to permit movement of the shoulder and a disk supported thereon towards the label supporting surface on the positioning base for adhesion to the label upon contact therewith and to return the shoulder and disk to its initial position, and a plate integrally connected to the bottom of the resilient, compressible member to stabilize and rigidify the same during compression; wherein the components of the labeler can be disassembled for storage and shipment.
2. The labeler of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second spindle portions are cylindrical in shape.
3. The labeler of claim 2 , wherein the positioning hole is circular in shape and the resilient, compressible member is cylindrical in shape.
4. The labeler of claim 1 , wherein the resilient, compressible member further comprises a foam pad that is ultrasonically welded to the bottom of the first portion of the spindle.
5. The labeler of claim 1 , wherein the positioning base is circular in shape.
6. The labeler of claim 1 , wherein the member is formed from rubber.
7. The labeler of claim 1 , wherein the member is formed from neoprene.
8. The labeler of claim 1 further comprising a washer adapted to be positioned over and around the second portion of the spindle and on a disk seated on the shoulder to protect against contact with the disk.
9. The labeler of claim 8 , wherein the washer includes a plurality of radial arms extending outwardly therefrom adapted for contact with a plurality of fingers adapted to exert a force on the disk against the compression of the member, to adhere the disk to the label on the positioning plate.
10. The labeler of claim 9 further comprising a plate on the bottom of the washer adapted to raise the washer above the plane of a disk seated on the shoulder to preclude scratching the surface thereof.
11. The labeler of claim 1 further comprising a tube extending downwardly from the positioning plate adjacent to the positioning hole to guide and house the first spindle portion to preclude lateral movement thereof, the tube being axially aligned with the positioning hole.
12. The labeler of claim 11 , wherein the tube includes a pair of diametrically opposed slots opening in the bottom edge thereof, and wherein the spindle includes a pair of diametrically opposed ears received in the slots to preclude rotation of the spindle relative to the base.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 11, 2002
July 22, 2003
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